INTERNET giant Yahoo has urged users to change their log-in details after more than one billion users may have fallen victim to a hacking attack. 

Yahoo said that names, phone numbers, passwords and email addresses were stolen in the attack, but that bank and payment data were safe.

The company said it believes the attack is "distinct" from another cyber attack the company reported in September this year, which involved around 500 million accounts and was said to have been carried out by a "state-sponsored actor" in late 2014.

Yahoo say this personal data affected included "names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords", as well as security questions and answers, but the company claimed financial information had not been compromised.

The company also said it analysis has led it to believe the same state-sponsored hackers were involved in this newly-disclosed attack.

In a statement, is said: "Yahoo encourages users to review all of their online accounts for suspicious activity and to change their passwords and security questions and answers for any other accounts on which they use the same or similar information used for their Yahoo account.

"The company further recommends that users avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails and that they be cautious of unsolicited communications that ask for personal information."

The firm, which is currently being taken over by Verizon, said it was continuing to work with law enforcement authorities.